Meet Tony - Legendary wordsmith, pride of Manchester, and cherished Fed poet

On 22nd May 2017, the city of Manchester was rocked when a terrorist attack hit the Manchester Arena. One of the worst atrocities in British history, the response to this chilling tragedy saw the very best of humanity.

On the 23rd May, the very next evening, thousands of people joined together in Albert Square for a vigil that stressed the importance of peace and tolerance.

In the midst of that response was one man, an ordinary Mancunian with an extraordinary talent.

Tony Walsh, now world-famous for his rendition that day of his stirring poem 'This Is The Place' - an homage to his home city of Manchester - was selected to represent the beating heart of this great city and its people. Visibly emotional yet holding the thousands before him in his hands, Tony told the crowd, in his inimitable style, to "...always remember, never forget - choose love, Manchester."

A local lad who rose from poverty to leave his mark on the entire country, Tony's meteoric rise saw his talent and skill requested by The Fed, to help create a moving word poem that would tell the story of the organisation's 150 year history.

The result of that partnership - 'Not Alone' - has been viewed by thousands of people across the world and is a moving tribute to burgeoning Jewish community that flourished in Greater Manchester.

Recorded in August 2021, this episode is released to coincide with the fifth anniversary of that tragic day in Manchester's history, to celebrate Tony's immeasurable skill and passion that brought comfort and pride to so many, and to hear first-hand from a Mancunian legend who is truly a Human of The Fed.